COALOPQLIS.

Clutha Leader, Volume XXXVIII, Issue 8, 1 August 1911, Page 5

COALOPQLIS.

IgpSSJifGATA'S NEW POST OFFICE LAYING FOUNDATION STOI 12. BY ACTING POSTMASTER GENERAL. AN INTERESTING SPEECH. The weather was kind at Kaitangataf yesterday—a red-letter day for the town—when the foundation stono whs laid for the large and well-equipped post office which is now being erected, in order to keep in touch with Kaitan-v gata's march of progress. The Hon. Thos. Mackenzie (Acting PostmasterGeneral) drove from Balclutha to Kaitangata in company with others, and on arriving thero a splendid luncheon was served in the Bridge Hotel by Mr Clements and his staff. The Mayor (Mr W. Duncan) occupied the head of the table, the Hon. Mr Mackenzie sat on his right, Mr J as. Allen, M.P., on his left, whilst visitors present were— Messrs E. J. Boyd and J. Dunne (Balclutha), W, St. George Douglas (Chief Postmaster) and Mr R. Lee (actingmanager Kaitangata Coal Co.) Mr P. MoKinlay, J. Sarjeant (postmaster), bordugh councillors, and ex-mayors and ex-councillors, and Mr Watson Rhodes (contractor). The toasts of 'The King," "Parliament and Government," and "The Mayor and Councillors," were honoured and briefly spoken to. At 2 o'clock a largo crowd assembled at the Post Office site, there being nearly 500 people present. The brass and pipe bands played, school cadets turned out with uniforms and arms; and the school children were massed in front of the temporary platform. Mr Duncan (Mayor)" said they had met that day for a memorable occasion—the laying of the foundation stone of the new post office. In the ! course of his well-chosen remurks he | congratulated the children and said I there were some who could, if they ! aspired, hold high positions amongst the legislators of any self-governing country. Mr C. E. Yates, who followed, congratulated the people on getting a post office worthy of the town. Visiters formed their opinion of what a jtown was by its public buildings. He I laughingly remarked that when the Minister of Railways next visited Kaitangata he, on seeing the post office, would see the necessity for railway facilities to be in keeping with it, and , would give them a better railway service or induce the Kaitangata Company to do so. | Mr E. J. Boyd also spoke in happy , vein. He congratulated Kaitangata on the splendid post office which it was j about to have. I Dr Fitzgerald, chairman oi school committee, in the course of a pointed speech in which he covered much ground, complimented the school chiljdren on their smart and healthy appearance, referred to the beautiful natural situation of Kaitangata, paid a high tribute to those men who had formed the town, for their forethought in laying out the streets as they were, and for their action in securing magnificent reserves. He mentioned the name* '' with praise of Messrs Shaw, McKenzie, Aitchison, and Blaekic, and optimistically referred to what could be done if the bar of the river were removed and the coal sent away by sea ' making the Molyneux a '•collier's i Clyde," He concluded by speaking of i the late Mr Seddon's action in having the technical school equipped immediately on being approached. If Ministers, , Were asked they would grant whatever ' requests were necessary and fair. He \ thanked Mr Mackenzie and other members of the Ministry for what they had' done for Kaitangata. j Mr Jas. Allen, in the course of an able address based mostly on Idealism, exhorted the young people lo take in full the opportunities offered them by their technical schools, and have ambition. The Hon. Thos. Mackenzie gave one of his characteristically humorous ad(dresses, full of witty local allusions. He said he had been more or less associated with Kaitangata for 'M years.', !He referred to the fact that workers j were now enabled to live in better conditions, and could get a share of 1 the wealth they created. Never was there a better opportunity for healthy men and women, than at the present moment, and there was no other coun- '. try under the sun which had such op'portunities as ours. Referring to the immediate purpose of his visit, he expressed the great pleasure he had in being presentthat day. He said that in i the. late fifties, before a post office was 'opened at Kaitangata, the mail service* from Dunedin to Balclutha, Inch t'lu- ■ tha and Coal Point was performed by Mr John Graham (well known as -Jock Graham) once a week. Inch Clutha and its surroundings were served by a letter box affixed to a cabbage tree at ; the junction of the roads above Stir- ' ling. Subsequently there was a service from Balclutha to Coal Point, via Upper Inch Clutha and Mayficld. Mr Lin-- , dsay, in the employ of the late MiArchibald Anderson, was the first post ', man, and Mr Lewis was in charge at j Coal Point. Mr Thomas Marsh was alI so in charge for some time. Coal Point ' was then better known as Kaitangata, and three or four old settlers now living worked there before going to the Tuapeka rush in 1801. Subsequent mail carriers were Mr Orchiston and Mr Ja.-f Moore. A post office was opened at Kaitangata on the 15th September, , ].%3, the first postmaster being Mr ; I Andrew Chapman, now of Balclutha, : and the building being his store, which lis still in existence, almost adjoining the cheese factory, and presently occu- . pied by Mr Charles Fletcher. Mr A. N. Hislop was the first to run a coach '; between Stirling and Kaitangata. Mr Alex Reid soon followed, and was the \ first mail contractor for the early . morning and evening service Mr Kei< ! still holds this contract. The postal business was on the first of January, 11865, removed to the store Mr Dell sire Coste, near the present bridge. Mr 1 ' Coste conducted the office until May, * MBG9, when it was removed to the e 'charge of Mr Reginald McDonald, 1 When Mr McDonald's building was lat- " er destroyed by fire, he bought Mi - Beattie's store and conducted the pasB tal business there. Mr McDonald had " charge of the post office for six years, " and on the first of April 1875 was * succeeded by Mr J. P. Stoddart. Or Ist December, 1876, the office was [ - placed in charge of a permanent ofii 4 I cer of the Department, the first post ,f master being Mr John Owens, nov -postmaster at Taihape. Subsequen e postmasters have been, Mr J. A. Algu ■• i appointed let Sept., 1891, A. A. Win

(present postmaster) appointed 'Aug- | ust 28tK 1902. A telegraph and mon- : ey order office'and a savings bank [were opened on January Ist, 1877, and a telephone exchange on August 10th, 1898. The business has increased considerably in all branches during the last ten years. In 1900 the number of letters and post cards was 36,910, in 1910 it was 81,240 ; the number of other articles being 4000 and 11,040 respectively. In 1900 the number of letters and post eafds delivered was 46,000, in 1910 91,810, other articles 21,180 and 36,440. The postal revenue in 1000 was £360, in 1910 £4lO. In 1900 number of money orders issued was 1002, value £3058, in 1910 number 2243, value £6152. Money, orders paid in 1900 225, value £B3O, in 1910 number'3sß, value £l43<)i Savings bank deposits in 1900 number 581 value £5401, in 1910 number 1012 value £11,912, withdrawals for the same years 119 value £2237, and 296 value £8276. In 1900 the number of telegrams forwarded- was 3607, value £133, in 1910 number 4-740 value £M3. The telegrams received for delivery were 2955 and 3487 in the respective years. The new building will be of wood and of two storeys, and will be a combined office and postmaster's residence. The office portion will bo on the ground iloor, and will compriseporch, public office, telephone bureau, postmaster's room, mail room, telephone exchange room, strong room, and the private box lobby. The residence will occupy the upper floor, and will comprise a dining room, a sitting room, a kitchen, a scullery, a pantry, three bedrooms, a bathroom, and a linen closet. The residence will have a private side entrance, also a second or back stairs. A> wash-house and other conveniences will be provided in an outbuilding. The contractors are Messrs Watson Rhodes and Son, Dunedin. In tho early sixties vessels came up to the old Grnnton wharf (near the present bridge to Inch Clutha) laden with produce and material for the Tua-> peka diggings, six or seven schooners being occasionally in at one time. Many miners for Gabriel's Gullv came this way, via the Coast, and it might be correctly stated that the fiftieth anniversary of Gabriel's Gully is also the lifthieth anniversary of Kaitangata. Amongst the old settlers still living at Kaitangata are, Frazcr Brothers, who arrived in 1867, William Carson, Michael Muir, Donald Mitchell, and William Aitchisoti, all in 1858, John, Peter Daniel, and Hugh Haggart (four brothers) and Mrs W. T. Smith in 1858, Mrs William Henderson in 1860, Mrs Harold Clements, senr., and John Welsh in 1861. William Kelly in 1862, Andrew Carson in 1861. Louis Anderson in 1876, John Todd in 1877, Joseph Robertson in 1878, William Mclnnes in 1879. The Haggart Brothers were shipmates of his own, and arrived bv the Robert Henderson in February 1858. Mrs T. B. Muir still reside* in her cottage near the old Granton township, With her late husband she arrived in 1863, Mr Muir having an engagement with Mr Elphinstone, a retired Indian Army officer, who then owned the Balloon. In this direction there lived several early settlers before Mrs Muir's time, such as Mr Darling (Kemra Bank), Mr Roland (The Gask), Mr Andrew Smaill (Maylield), and Mr Davidson Blackie (Pandreich Farm), and Mr A. W. Mosley. The farms of the last three are still occupied by children of the original settlers. In the early days there were no roads other than a bridle track. Communication was kept up by means of canoe, boats, etc., until a punt was placed on the river. Ten or twelve years ago the punt gave way to the substantial bridge now spanning the river. Kaitangata was originally a place of no special importance. The hills from which the coal is now obtained were simply stretches of common native tussock with some bush land, while the adjoining flat was apparently unconquerable llax swamp. Nevertheless it was believed more than 50 years ago that coal might be obtained, as Mr J. T. Thomson, then Surveyor Gen>-| eral, found indications on the surface j when paying a Hying visit to Mr Lovell. a pioneer settler, after whom Lovells Mat was named. It was not until the early sixties that any work was done in the direction of obtaining coal, j There was no railway, but the common highway of the river was convenient

! enough for transporting the coal and ! supplying the wants of the people, and ! several parties mined coal at more or j less profit, despatching what was availI able by the "Pretty .Jam*." the "Lady of the Lake," and other small trading ! vessels, and also by road to Balelutha, I Tokomairiro and other inland townships. The workings were carried on i somewhat irregularly till 1873, when j the Kaitangata Coal Company was formed to acquire the rights and work the mine on a common business plan. The Company was re-constructed and a new company formed in April 18(75, with a capital of £-20,000. _ After that the annual dividends remained steady and proved more than satisfactory to the shareholders. In the early days the late lamented l)r .1. C.ibson Smith attended to tho physical sufyerinss of the Kaitangata settlers. T)r TCobertson was the first ! medical man stationed at Kaitangata. j Several others followed, until 1)r Fitzgerald came and had a long and siic- ' eessful career. Tn the early days of th(|

settlement a monthly religious service j was conducted at the Cask barn by the i Rev. Mr Bannerman. whose parish ex- i tended from the Taieri to Mataura. , The first public school was built in j 1808, Mr A. N. Hislop being the first school master. The present well-ap- | pointed school with its up-to-date heating system, septic tank, technical j rooms, and gymnasium, is believed to | be one of the best equipped school* in j the Dominion, thanks to Dr Fitzgerald,', for many years chairman of an intelli- | Kent and ' live committee. The lvaitangata Athenaeum was opened on the, Bth March 1881. The Kaitangata folic Corps was formed in 1883 by Captain William Smaill, now at the Mayfield farm. Captain Smaill was-succeeded b* i Captain Owens, and then in 1892 cam* [Captain Rutherford. Kaitangata was I proclaimed a borough in September, 1 1887 The members of the first council |were' Messrs A". N. Hislop (mayor), William Aitchison, Matthew Carson, I Henry. Kerr, W. T. Smith, and W. i Middlemass. The area of the borough w 11158 acres, and the population at the census in April was 1567. About 350 are employed in the coal mines. | The first sod of the Kaitangata railway was turned by N 'Sir John Bichardson. It was constructed generally to W urn »« ** GovewHttow

railways, of tho same guago, and with 40lb steel rails. Tho cost of line, rolling stock, and buildings, was £26,500, and it was formally opened for traffic in June 1876, the first coal brought to Dunedin by tho now route being trucked on the 19th of that month. The first staiionmaster was Mr J. B. Griffin, who was succeeded in 1883 by Mr Henry Cornish, who still holds the position. During the first year of tho Kaitangata Railway and Coal Coy's operations 7000 tons of coal were taken from tho mine ; 20 years afterwards it had reached 90,000 tons, and now it is over 120,000 tons. The supply is practically unlimited. In 1575 a few hundreds of pounds covered the wages bill, 20 years afterwards it took about £20,000, and now tho annual wages sheet is nearly £40,000. The company has an expansive and pros--porous future before it. Tho fact that .so large a sum is distributed in wages alone in Kaitangata gives a ki>y to its prosperous appearance. Instead of the usual colliery village with its crowded tenements, one sees neat and commondious cottages with well-kept gardens The main street, Eddystone street, is a mile in length, and several plantations at different vantage points form a pretty setting to a prosperous and.clean town. Though coal mining is the chief industry, flax abounds and is turned to profitable account, while agriculture is successfully carried on, and a cheese factory and a creamery are in full swing. On coming forward to lay the foundation stone, Mr Watson Rhodes (contractor) presented the Hon. Mr Mackenzie with a silver trowel, and the minister thanked him in a sincere manner. He then laid the stone—a line Carara marble slab, which was inscribed as follows :—"This stone was laid by Hon Thos. Mackenzie, F.R.G.S.. Acting Postmaster General, on the 31st July, 1911. J. Campbell, F.R.1.8.A., architect. W. Rhodes and Son, builders. Hon. R. McKenzie, Minister of Public Works,'" Cheers were then given and the people dispersed. Morrison's pipe band played Mr Mackenzie to the railway station in the evening, when he took the train for Mosgie). .